Tips for Social Media & Your Conference

Want to make sure that you are getting the most value possible out of your social media efforts around your conference or event? Read on!

Events Feature on Your Facebook Page: Use it. No, it is not overkill, because your conference/event is posted on your website. Share info within the event as well as elsewhere so that your potential attendees have a central place to refer back to when looking for things (like registration links, or early bird deadlines, the hotel hotel info, etc.) Make special announcements, and encourage people to share a post that they are attending (to create some level of FOMO).

Video & Facebook Live: OK, admittedly I am one to shy away from a camera. If I have to do a video (and I do, monthly), I record it, and watch it before I post. But for those who are brave in my eyes, or you work with someone who is comfortable in from of the camera, use the Facebook Live feature to stream info to your followers. You can use this to promote keynote speakers, answer questions, etc.

Facebook Groups: If you have one, use it! If you don’t, find one that makes sense to your potential audience, join, and start engaging. Build trust and relationships by commenting or sharing relevant articles (no, not just about your association or conference, but other stuff too), and, when the time is right, start asking, posting and commenting appropriately about your conference.

Use Your LinkedIn Network: Promoting and sharing on your company page to share with your followers is one thing, but I want to talk about paid placement (if you have the budget for it). There are two things to consider: Ads & Sponsored Updates. While you could opt for either, my preference is the Sponsored Update. These are the posts that appear in your feed instead of the side of the screen. For this though, you have to have an interesting image (preferably not a stock image, but an eye-catching one from last year’s event perhaps), and a catchy call-to-action that will stop people and make them think, instead of scrolling on.

Twitter: Unless you are a celebrity or another iconic figure, remember to keep it interesting and use your hashtags!

Hashtags: Speaking of this, if you are creating one, have a look around online to see if it is already being used for something else (Twitter is great for this!)

Instagram: Again, it is all about the visuals and the hashtags in a regular feed. But now you have Stories to think of too! Use the stories feature in the exciting times (i.e. when you are doing the final site inspection, when you are planning the awards dinner, when you are signing off on the city tour in advance). If you are going to start using the stories feature, just remember to keep it going – it could be really cool and a great way to continue to create FOMO if you create stories during the event as well!

What else can you do? Engage your sponsors, speakers, exhibitors, committee to be part of the social sharing process too!